Commercial ventures of religious organizations

Abstract

AbstractReligious groups represent almost 40 percent of all U.S. nonprofits. An empirical study of 105 religious‐based commercial ventures suggests several conclusions and implications for practitioners and scholars. First, the earning of income is rarely the primary consideration or measure of success in the initiation and evolution of religious‐based nonprofit enterprise. The primary purpose of religious venturing is to achieve social and spiritual aims, such as evangelism, provision of membership services, or economic development. Second, the philosophy of the groups studied was more cooperative than competitive vis‐vis other nonprofit and for‐profit groups. Third, the study's findings on staff difficulties within nonprofit enterprise are consistent with those of other studies and underscore the importance of using volunteers strategically and of clearly defining how enterprise activities fit into the organization's mission. Fourth, a spiritual dimension distinguishes the operation of religious nonprofits, especially the Christian groups, from secular enterprise.